Cognitive Influences on Food Intake

Question 1

What factors impair the functioning of the prefrontal cortex?

Answer 1

Alcohol
Sleep deprivation
Hunger
Stress

Question 2

What are the 2 systems designed to cope with stress?

Answer 2

Sympathetic Adrenal-Medullary Pathway (SAM)

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal System (HPA)

Question 3

What are the executive functions of the prefrontal cortex?

Answer 3

Self-regulation
Evaluation
Predicting outcomes
Working towards goals
Future consequences of current activities

Question 4

What depletes self control?

Answer 4

Suppressing emotions/feelings/thoughts
Delaying gratification
Impulse control
Regulating task performance
Making decisions

Question 5

What is moral licensing?

Answer 5

The idea that past good behaviour can give permission to be bad today

Question 6

What is the ‘halo effect’?

Answer 6

A phenomenon when in the mind, one ‘good’ thing casts a halo on something else, leading to the belief that the latter has the qualities of the former.

Question 7

Outline the dieting cycle

Answer 7

Decision to restrict food
> deprivation (physical, emotional)
> rebel against the rules (all or nothing/moral licensing/WTH effect)
> over-eat/binge
> shame/guilt
> feel bad
> eat for comfort
> negative self-image
>> decide to restrict food

Question 8

Outline the emotional eating cycle

Answer 8

Stress/trigger
> comfort food
> 'feel good' hormones in the brain
> temporary fix
> shame/guilt
> resolve to cope better in the future
>> another trigger

Question 9

What effect does chronic stress have on eating and weight gain?

Answer 9

Chronic stress -> greater cortisol exposure

> greater sensitisation of reward system&raquo_space; increased food intake&raquo_space;> visceral fat accumulation